By Adrian Roach
FOREWORD
The purpose of this little book is to acquaint those who use the Little Flock Hymn Book with those who composed the various hymns. This will bring before them the grace of God to these dear believers led to write these hymns in various exercises of soul, but all for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Furthermore, this book should also be of interest to all Christians, even those not using the Little Flock, as the writers are from all walks of life and from many religious groups. There are authors from the Methodists, Roman Catholics, Baptists, Moravians, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Church of England, Lutheran, Independents and others. There are also hymns written by those who, led of the Lord, have gone outside the “camp” (Heb. 13), leaving behind all religious names, rituals, man’s order of ministry, organization and human titles. They are simply gathered to the Lord’s Name on the ground that the church is one (Eph. 4:44There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; (Ephesians 4:4)) and that the Lord adds to the church daily such as should be saved (Acts 2:4747Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (Acts 2:47)), and there is no need to join anything. Acting on Matthew 18:18-2018Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:18‑20) they, as led by the Spirit, own the Lord’s authority in the midst of all gathered to His precious Name.
The hymn book under consideration is the one originally set up by Mr. George V. Wigram in 1856 and revised by John N. Darby in 1881. Some having left the ground of gathering have undertaken further revisions of the Little Flock, but none of these is in view in this history, though the same hymn writers will be involved.
Our desire is that the spiritual enjoyment may increase for those who sing these hymns as they realize God’s matchless grace to the hymn writers and to themselves! How good to have such scriptural vehicles for expressing praise!
It is regretted that for a number of writers we could find little or no information.
The writer freely owns his indebtedness to various sources of information listed at the end of this book for ready reference.
A. Roach
December 3, 1974
HYMNS FOR THE POOR OF THE FLOCK
1838
A FEW HYMNS AND SOME SPIRITUAL SONGS.
DEDICATED 1856.
A FEW HYMNS AND SOME SPIRITUAL SONGS
SELECTED 1856 FOR THE LITTLE FLOCK
REVISED 1881